Topic: Showing Up Early?
I have a question to pose based on one of the passages I underlined in my copy of the book. Read the below and then respond to the "Q:" below if interested...
In Chapter 7, "Motivating," Lang discusses the importance of getting to class early. While you obviously don't want to be late, he also stresses another reason of showing up a bit ahead of time:
"[a professor] had shown up to every class session 5-10 minutes early and--even though she found it a struggle--spent a few of those minutes approaching individuals in the class and engaging in casual conversation. She did so in a carefully planned way, enusring that she approached every student at least once over the course of the semester: "Even that stony-faced kid sitting in the back row--I made sure I spoke to him, too" (180). This professor claimed that student evaluations rose and expressed how much the students appreciate this one-on-one attention.
Q: Does anyone else do this? I initially did this, only to find (a) no one is in my class 10 minutes before class, and very few even 5, and (b) students are often jealous of their pre-class time, using it to phone surf or do homework or simply rest their eyes. Students even sit in the dark if you let them! They don't seem to be very open to communication (unless they already know you, or want to know you) and they can even see this as invasive. It also raises the question, how much do you have right to invade their space beyond the class? Is pre-class time their time, or is the moment they come into your class fair game? Should we insinuate ourselves into their space at this time, or simply be there, and allow them to come to us?
I don't do this and still feel uncomfortable forcing students to talk outside of a class discussion. It seems pushy. Other thoughts or alternatives?
In Chapter 7, "Motivating," Lang discusses the importance of getting to class early. While you obviously don't want to be late, he also stresses another reason of showing up a bit ahead of time:
"[a professor] had shown up to every class session 5-10 minutes early and--even though she found it a struggle--spent a few of those minutes approaching individuals in the class and engaging in casual conversation. She did so in a carefully planned way, enusring that she approached every student at least once over the course of the semester: "Even that stony-faced kid sitting in the back row--I made sure I spoke to him, too" (180). This professor claimed that student evaluations rose and expressed how much the students appreciate this one-on-one attention.
Q: Does anyone else do this? I initially did this, only to find (a) no one is in my class 10 minutes before class, and very few even 5, and (b) students are often jealous of their pre-class time, using it to phone surf or do homework or simply rest their eyes. Students even sit in the dark if you let them! They don't seem to be very open to communication (unless they already know you, or want to know you) and they can even see this as invasive. It also raises the question, how much do you have right to invade their space beyond the class? Is pre-class time their time, or is the moment they come into your class fair game? Should we insinuate ourselves into their space at this time, or simply be there, and allow them to come to us?
I don't do this and still feel uncomfortable forcing students to talk outside of a class discussion. It seems pushy. Other thoughts or alternatives?
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